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1909 Map of Mc Alester

Name: 1909 Topographic Map of Mc Alester
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1924
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1924

About this map

McAlester and its surrounding coal-mining settlements are captured here during a period of rapid industrial expansion in the early twentieth century. This terrain, defined by the Jackfork Mountain and Pine Mountain ranges, is dominated by the complex rail networks of the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific and the Missouri Kansas and Texas railroads. These lines connect intensive coal-producing hubs like Krebs, Alderson, Bache, and Hartshorne, where a dedicated Electric R.R. once shuttled workers between the towns of the Choctaw field.

Evidence of early frontier infrastructure is found in labels like Haywood P.O. and the rugged Limestone Gap passage to the south. North of the main city, Lake Talawanda provides a rare water landmark amidst the industrial landscape. The map also identifies local landmarks such as Belle Starr Mtn and the varied terrain of the Kiowa Hills, reflecting the Choctaw Nation's transition into the new state of Oklahoma.